Soren picks non-IAS as his second principal secretary

Ranchi, Sep 10 (IANS) Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has appointed his officer on special duty as his principal secretary raising eyebrows in bureaucratic circles.The decision to appoint Neeraj Kumar, who has not qualified for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre, has irked civil service officers in the state.

“How a non-IAS person could be accorded principal secretary rank. Principal secretary rank is accorded only to IAS people,” a senior IAS official told IANS.

Soren already had senior bureaucrat B.K. Tripathy as his principal Secretary and Kumar will be the second principal secretary-rank official in the chief minister’s office.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati had appointed Shashank Shekhar Singh, retired pilot of the Indian Air Force, as a cabinet secretary.

“Why does the media question every thing. Where is the problem. We believe in delivering. The newly appointed OSD cum principal secretary will help in the development of the state,” said a close associate of Soren requesting anonymity.